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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitch — completely
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — a container
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. charge — a price
  22. wound — an injury
  23. tube — the underground
  24. race — the arms race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com